Divided lane highway guard



y 5 R. H. BROADWAY DIVIDED LANE HIGHWAY GUARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 19, 1962 INVENTOR. RALP H. BROADWAY BY M0; M1, 8:

ATTORNEYS y 25, 1965 R. H. BROADWAY DIVIDED LANE HIGHWAY GUARD Filed March 19, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. PAL PH H. BROADWAY BY M m At 72% Arronmsvs DIVIDED LANE HIGHWAY GUARD Ralph Hugh Broadway, Menomouee Falls, Wis, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Calman S. Pruscha and Edward C. Berg, both of Milwaukee, Wis." i

Filed Mar. 19,1962, Sen-N0. 180,644 8 Claims. (Cl. 256-131) The presentjinvention relates generallyto improvements in highway safety guard rails, and relates more particularly to the provision of an improved impact absorbing guard-rail for dividing tramc flow lanes of highways. a

In the co-pending application of Benjamin T. Case, Serial No. 123,455, a highway safety guard rail assemblage is disclosed in which a plurality of displ-aceable bipod supports are utilized for supporting and spacing the guard cables or stringers. In this prior assemblage, each of the bipod supports is retained in upright position while permitted to move laterally to a limited extent under heavy impact by a flexible cable or the like which has its medial portion firmly anchored in a deadman with the opposite free upwardly extending ends of the cable being frictionally clamped to oppose sides of the respective bipod supports and having limit stops firmly secured thereto. In addition to the unique cable clamping means on opposite sides of each bipod support, means were provided for releasably securing the base portions of the supports to a supporting platform to thereby initially position the supports while permitting the desired movement or displacement thereof under impact.

These prior safety guard rail assemblages forming the subject-matter of application Serial No. 123,455 have, in fact, proven exceptionally efiicient with excellent safety results to both the driverand vehicle having been obtained in extensive vehicle impact tests. However, the use of these and other previously proposed safety guard rail assemblages was generallyrestricted to outside lanes and unidirectional traflic flow, 'and they were not particularly adapted for use in narrow boulevard strips or restri-ctcd center lanes of multi-lane highways or expressways. I j j j j It is therefore la'primary object of the present invention to provide an improved safetyguard rail assemblage which is especially adapted for use as or with center lane strips for effectively protecting traffic flow in both directions and on both sides of the center lane or strip.

Another object of this invention is to provide, in a unitary assemblage, an improved highway safety guard which maybe used with a high degree ofefiiciency and with minimum space requirements to divide the several traffic lanes of a multiple-lane highway and which is adapted to absorb high impact forces from either side and imposed thereon from any direction.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved medial highway safetyguard which 'has exposed impact receiving stringers spaced laterally from one another on opposite ends of one or more supporting frames which are slidably seated in upright condition on a base platform and which are provided with means on opposite sidesand intermediate the ends thereof for frictionally resisting and positively limiting their move- 3,185,445 Patented May 25, 1965 FIG. '2 is a fragmentary top view of the guard rail assemblage of FIG. 1 showing the same dividing adjacent tnafiic lanes of a highway;

L FIG. 3 .is a somewhat enlarged transverse section taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1 adjacent one side of one of the guard r-ail supporting frames, the base platform or pedestal being shown partly in section and with the frame in its normal position thereon;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the guard rail supporting frame shifted laterally on the base to the fullest extent of its movement in one direction as when struck by a vehicle; and

FIG. 5 is a section through one of the guard rail sup porting frames taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

While the invention hasbeen shown and described herein as being particularly applicable for use as a guard rail in dividing oncoming lanes of traffic and as being formed of certain materials with the anchor cables cast individual deadmen with the several frames seated upon independent bases or pedestals, it is not desired or intended to thereby unnecessarily limit the application or scope of the invention since the double guard rail structure may be used to advantage in dividing any and all lanes of traflic ason freeways or the like with any suitable materials being substituted for those disclosed and with the anchor cables being cast directly Within the highway and the several frames being seated directly on the highway surface or the boulevard strip. It is furthermore contemplated that certain specific descriptive terms used herein shall be. given the broadest interpretation consistent with the claims.

Referring to the drawings, the typical highway guard rail shown therein as embodying the impnovements comprises, in general, a pair of fixed upright end posts 9, 10

supported on a concrete platform 11 or the like at op- :posite ends of the guard strip, a plurality of upright frames 12 spaced between the opposite pairs of end posts 9, 10 and each anchored to a deadman 14 depending from a base 13 so as to permit limited lateral movement of the frames 12 toward the lane 'on each side of the guard when subjected to a heavy impact from either direction, and two laterally spaced series of guard stringers or cables 15, 16, the cables of each series being clamped at theiropposite ends to the end posts 9, 10 as by means of suitable tu-r-nbuckles or tensioning clamps 17, 18, respectively, the intermediate portions of the cables 15, 16 being strung through vertically spaced clamps or U-bolts 21, 22, respectively, carried by the corresponding postsor legs '19, 20 of the respective frames 12.

Each of the upright frames 12 is formed of a series of spaced end posts 19, 20 rigidly joined as by a pair of cross-pieces forming an X-shaped brace 24, and to afford additional stabilization, the lower arms of the cross brace 24 are joined by a horizontal stabilizing bar '25 which is preferably provided with a central depending leg 26 also engaging the base '13 midway between the posts 21, 22. The means for anchoring each of the frames 12 for limited lateral movement under heavy impact consists of a flexible elongated member or cable 27 having its medial portion firmly anchored below the base 13 as by casting the same directly into the deadman 14, the opposite ends 28, 29 of the cable 27 extending upwardly from the base in spaced relation on opposite sides of the adjacent frame 12. Each of the free upwardly extending ends 28, 29 of the anchor cable 27 has a limit stop 30, 31 firmly secured thereto at equally spaced distances above the base, and a spaced distance below the limit stops 30, 31 the cable ends 28, 2,9 are clamped to opposite sides and medially of the respective frame by means of friction clamps 32, 33 projecting from opposite sides of a clamp carrier 34 which is firmly secured to the cross brace 24 adjacent to and immediately above the intersection 35 thereof. Limited movement of each of the frames 12 under the frictional resistance of clamps 32, 33 is therefore permitted Within the limits defined by the distance between the clamps 32, 33 and the respective limit stops 39, 31 on the cable ends.

The end posts 9, are, of course, tied down by suitable anchor rods 37, 38 and the tension of the guard stringers 15, 16 may be adjusted in a well-known manner by means of the tension devices 17, 18. Each set of guard stringers 15, 16 consists of a vertically spaced series of cables, and these cables are supported by the respective clamps 21, 22 for free sliding movement so as to permit displacement of the several frames 12 to the extent limited by the anchor cables 27 as shown in FIG. 4. To retain the cables or stringers 15, 16 in their relatively spaced condition at intervals between the frames 12 suitable cable spacers 39, 40 are provided, and these spacers comprise generally either a single or a pair of spaced elongated plates or bars having suitable U-shaped bolts or the like frictionally clamping the cables in properly spaced relative positions.

From the foregoing detailed description, it is believed apparent that the improved highway guard provides a safety rail along opposite sides or end posts of the several supporting frames 12 so that impacts received by either the series of vertically spaced cables 15 or by the series of vertically spaced cables 16 will be absorbed since the frames 12 are constantly stabilized 1 and retained in upright position by the anchoring cable 27 which permits limited displacement of the frames 12 in the direction of both lanes of traflic. The assemblage obviously requires a limited amount of space, and each of the end pairs of anchoring posts 9, 10 may be re placed by a single post if desired. The unique construction of the frames affords the necessary amount of rigidity and also facilitates proper installation with the anchoring cables being frictionally clamped at exactly the desired locations by means of the clamps on the carrier 34 secured immediately above the intersection 35 of the cross brace.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim:

1. A cable-supporting structure for a divided lane highway guard comprising, a fixed base, an upright frame having spaced parallel end posts, diagonal braces joining said posts to maintain the same in spaced parallel relationship, said frame being seated on said base for movement relative thereto, a flexible elongated member having its medial portion firmly anchored below said base with the opposite ends thereof spaced apart and extending upwardly above said base on opposite sides of said frame, each of said member ends having a limit stop firmly se cured thereto, and means projecting from opposite sides of said frame medially of the end posts thereof to receive and frictionally clamp the adjacent upwardly extending portions of said flexible member below the limit stop thereon.

2. A cable-supporting structure for a divided lane highway guard according to claim 1, wherein the end posts of the upright frame are each provided with means for slidably receiving and supporting at least one guard cable.

3, A cable-supporting structure for a divided lane highway guard according to claim 1, wherein the crossed braces are additionally joined by a stabilizing bar secured at opposite ends to the braces below the intersection thereof, and said stabilizing bar has a medial leg depending therefrom and engaging the fixed base.

4. A cable-supporting structure for a divided lane highway guard comprising, a fixed base, an upright frame formed of spaced end posts rigidly joined by an X-shaped brace, the lower ends of said posts being freely engaged with said base, a flexible elongated member having its medial portion firmly anchored below said base with the opposite ends thereof extending upwardly from said base in spaced relation and on opposite sides of same frame, each of said member ends having a limit stop firmly secured thereto at equally spaced distances above said base, and a clamp carrier rigidly secured to said X-shaped frame brace immediately above the intersection thereof, said carrier having a frictional clamp secured to each end on opposite sides of said frame and frictionally clamping the adjacent upwardly extending portions of said flexible member at equally spaced distances below the limit stops thereof.

5. A cable-supporting structure for a divided lane highway guard according to claim 4, wherein a stabilizing bar is rigidly secured at opposite ends to the arms of the X-shaped frame brace below the intersection thereof and said bar has a leg secured thereto and engaging the base below and in vertical alinement with the clamp carrier.

6. A divided lane highway guard assemblage comprising, a plurality of spaced upright frames each having a pair of spaced end posts freely engaged at their lower ends with a base, a flexible elongated member for each of said frames, each of said elongated members having its medial portion firmly anchored below its respective frame with the opposite ends thereof spaced apart and extending upwardly on opposite sides of its said respective frame, a limit stop firmly secured to each of said member ends, means secured to and projecting laterally from opposite sides of each of said frames medially of the end posts thereof and frictionally clamping the adjacent upwardly extending portions of the respective flexible member below the limit stop thereof, and guard stringers slidably secured between corresponding posts of said spaced frames along opposite sides thereof, said guard stringers being anchored at their opposite ends.

7. A divided lane highway guard assemblage according to claim 6, wherein the end posts of each of said frames are joined by a pair of crossed braces and the means provided on each of the frames for frictionally clamping the ends of the respective flexible members are secured to and project from opposite sides of the intersecting portions of said braces.

8. A divided lane highway guard assemblage according to claim 6, wherein the guard stringers slidably secured between each series of corresponding posts along opposite sides of the frames constitutes a plurality of vertically spaced guard cables.

References Citedby the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,897,250 2/33 Frei 256-13.1 2,163,809 6/39 Rauen 25613.l 2,265,698 12/41 Opgenorth 256-13.1 2,882,099 4/59 Symons 182--179 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES W. ROBINSON, Examiner, 

1. A CABLE-SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR A DIVIDED LANE HIGHWAY GUARD COMPRISING, A FIXED BASE, AN UPRIGHT FRAME HAVING SPACED PARALLEL END POSTS, DIAGONAL BRACES JOINING SAID POSTS TO MAINTAIN THE SAME IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP, SAID FRAME BEING SEATED ON SAID BASE FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO, A FLEXIBLE ELONGATED MEMBER HAVING ITS MEDIAL PORTION FIRMLY ANCHORED BELOW SAID BASE WITH THE OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF SPACED APART AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY ABOVE SAID BASE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID FRAME, EACH OF SAID MEMBER ENDS HAVING A LIMIT STOP FIRMLY SECURED THERETO, AND MEANS PROJECTING FROM OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID FRAME MEDIALLY OF THE END POSTS THEREOF TO RECEIVE AND FRICTIONALLY CLAMP THE ADJACENT UPWARDLY EXTENDING PORTIONS OF SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBER BELOW THE LIMIT STOP THEREON. 